1. Field of the Invention
This invention pertains to paint trays, and, more particularly, to paint trays used with paint rollers.
2. Description of the Related Art
Paint trays are commonly used to apply paint to a surface using a paint roller. Typically, paint trays are an open pan-like structure with four upward extending side walls and an inclined bottom surface that recedes at one end to form a flat basin which is filled with a small amount of paint. Short legs are attached to the proximal end of the structure to elevate the proximal end of the bottom inclined surface relative to the basin so that paint deposited on the inclined surface automatically flows back to the basin when the tray is disposed in a horizontal position.
It is widely known that when painting with a paint roller, the user must frequently refill the paint tray. Standard paint trays have a working volume of approximately one pint of paint that is sufficient to cover approximately fifty square feet or about six running feet of a standard, eight foot high interior wall. It is also known that filled paint trays are notoriously unstable when filled with paint. Two hands and great care are needed to move the paint tray from one horizontal position to another to prevent spillage. The user must frequently return to the paint tray to re-apply fresh paint to the roller. Typically, the user dips the front edge of the roller into the paint located in the basin and then rolls the roller over the inclined surface to remove excessive paint and evenly distribute the paint around the roller.
Because the user must constantly re-apply fresh paint to the roller, it is normally desirable to carry or relocate the paint tray to the area being painted. When the paint tray is used while standing on a stepladder, two hands are normally used to lift the paint tray to a desired rung or shelf. Because most users need at least one hand to climb a stepladder, using standard paint trays while on a stepladder is generally regarded as unsafe.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,351,970 (Engh) discloses a paint tray designed to be used in both vertical and horizontal positions. The paint tray is similar to the typical paint tray described above but includes back and side walls that extend upward to form a larger, square-shaped basin and is designed to hold paint when the tray is positioned vertically. Two hook-shaped members are used as short legs to hold the paint tray on a ladder or to connect the paint tray to a shoulder strap. The paint tray also includes a longitudinally aligned, U-shaped bail or handle that pivotally connects to the sides of the tray which allows the paint tray to be carried with one hand. During use, the handle is pivoted between an extended, forward direction and a retracted, rearward direction when used vertically or horizontally, respectively.
One serious drawback with the paint tray disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,351,970 is that the handle is not fixed on the paint tray, making it difficult for the user to hold the paint tray in a fixed, vertically disposed position when the paint roller is dipped into the basin and rolled over the inclined surface. When the roller is pressed against and rolled across the inclined surface while holding the handle, the body of the paint tray pivots and swings, preventing the user from completely unloading excessive paint or evenly distributing paint around the roller. The pivoting movement of the handle also increases the safety risk when the paint tray is used on a stepladder. When the paint tray is hooked onto a ladder rung, the handle must be swung underneath the body of the paint tray to prevent obstruction. When moving up or down the stepladder, the user must reach underneath the body of the paint tray and grasp the handle and swing it upward, causing the user to push his body far out from the ladder in an unbalanced and unsafe position. To move the paint tray from a vertical to a horizontal position when not used on a ladder, the user must use two hands and exercise skill and care, lest the paint tray suddenly drop into its reverse rest position, spilling paint.
The paint tray disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,351,970 has additional drawbacks. First, the drain board creates a large dead space that is filled with paint, greatly lowering the paint tray effective volume, when it is disposed in a horizontal position. The body of the paint tray has sharp corners which also creates dead spaces. The existence of dead spaces in a paint tray is troublesome because the paint partly dries and forms a skin which may be transferred to the wall surface and makes cleaning more difficult.
A second drawback with such paint trays is that the hook members must be extended around the rungs of a stepladder. If the outer shape of the rungs and the hooks are not compatible, the paint tray cannot be safely attached to the rung. Unfortunately, no means is provided for safely engaging the surface of the rungs.
A drawback with all paint trays in the prior art is that the raised contact surfaces formed on the inclined surface on the paint tray do not adequately remove or evenly distribute excessive paint from the roller. The raised contact surfaces also do not remain in constant contact with the roller. Ideally, the raised contact surfaces should evenly apply pressure against the entire roller surface. The raised contact surfaces should also uniformly redirect any excessive paint removed from the roller to the basin. Unfortunately, the raised bumps and transversely aligned chevrons commonly used in the prior art have both of these drawbacks. What is needed is a paint tray with a fixed, rigid handle, such that it can be securely and firmly carried with a single hand; that can be used for painting while being so carried without ancillary attachments; that can be securely set in, or removed from, a resting position on any rung of a ladder or stepladder with a single, simple motion; that can be selectively used in either horizontal or vertical positions, alternating between positions by a single, one-handed motion, without adjustment of moving parts; all without risk of spillage of paint and without compromising the safety of the painter. The paint tray should hold at least one-half gallon of paint and have curved corners, eliminating the need for frequent refills and allowing all the paint in the paint tray to be accessible to the roller. The paint tray should be of a simple, single-piece design, easy to understand and use, and feasible to economically manufacture by various methods, to take advantage of the durability of metal, or the paint-shedding traits of some plastics.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a paint tray that may be used in a horizontal position or held in a vertical position by a rigid handle that allows the painter to dip the roller in the paint tray without causing unwanted rocking or swinging of the paint tray.
It is another object of the present invention to provide such a paint tray that safely holds approximately one gallon of paint with minimal dead spaces.
It is another object of the present invention to provide such a paint tray that includes raised contact surfaces on the inclined surface that evenly remove and distribute excessive paint from the roller and then return the excessive paint to the paint tray basin.
It is further object of the present invention to provide such a paint tray that uses improved legs capable of engaging the rungs on a ladder or stepladder.
It is a still further object of the present invention to provide such a paint tray that is economical to manufacture and ship.
These and other objects of the invention which will become apparent are met by a one-piece, large volume paint tray that can be used in a horizontal, as well as vertical, position to apply paint with a roller. Formed along the distal end of the paint tray is a partially enclosed basin that includes upward extending side walls, an end wall, and a top wall that extends to cover the basin. The corners between the end wall and the basin are curved thereby eliminating dead spaces so that a standard roller may pick up any paint located therein.
Formed longitudinally on the outer surface of the end wall is a pair of optional feet designed to hold the paint tray in an upright, vertically aligned position on a suitable support surface.
Formed on the body of the paint tray is a longitudinally aligned, inclined surface. The dimensions of the basin and the inclined surface are sufficient to provide sufficient freeboard when the paint tray is used in a vertical position. Formed on the top surface of the inclined surface is a plurality of raised zigzag-shaped contact surfaces. The zigzag-shaped contact surfaces provide a continuous surface over which a roller may be rolled to remove excess paint from the roller. The zigzag-shaped contact surfaces are also longitudinally aligned on the inclined surface so that excessive paint flows directly into the basin. In the preferred embodiment, the zigzag-shaped contact surfaces are aligned so that they do not have any overlapping edges. This assures that the same amount of pressure is applied to the roller surfaces when rolled across the inclined surface.
Formed on the proximal end of the paint tray is a pair of legs designed to elevate the proximal end so that the inclined surface is inclined when the paint tray is disposed horizontally. The shape of the legs and the overall length of the paint tray are sufficient so that the paint tray may be hung vertically when the legs rest on any rung of a standard ladder or stepladder, or may rest horizontally on the ladder shelf. In the preferred embodiment, the distal ends of the legs are sloped inward so that they engage the tread on a flat rung. Also attached to the distal ends is an optional extended lip structure designed to engage the surface of the step or rung. Also in the preferred embodiment, the legs are selectively attached to the paint tray so that the paint tray may be manufactured with the legs removed for compact shipping.
Aligned longitudinally and affixed to the proximal end of the paint tray is a short, rigid handle. The handle is securely affixed to the paint tray thereby preventing unwanted movement of the paint tray when the paint roller is rolled over the inclined surface or when the tray is maneuvered.